Get To It, Soldier
by GirHugs
Summary: (Slash) Everyone except Tony and Steve knows the two like each other, but no one on the team wants to be the one to tell the two idiots to get together already. So the Hulk does it for them.


**Disclaimer: Avengers owned by Marvel.**

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The two had been tiptoeing around each other for what seemed like forever. It was driving the rest of the team crazy. But most especially, it was driving Bruce crazy.

Bruce had been excited way back when Tony first asked for his help on a project. He thought it would be fun to watch the genius that was Tony Stark work in his natural element. Apparently he wasn't the only one that thought watching Tony Stark work would be fun though.

The first day Bruce joined Tony down in the lab, he was surprised to see Steve already there. From the looks of the small drawing table along with the comfortable couch and mini-fridge situated in a corner of the lab, Steve had been joining Tony in the lab for quite some time.

It was funny at first. The way the two flirted with each other without even realizing it – Tony because he was flirtatious by nature, and Steve because he was too innocent to realize that's what he was doing. But as the weeks dragged on and the project went into full swing, it became increasingly more difficult for Bruce to be around them for hours on end.

The two grown men were the cutest _and_ most annoying example of metaphorical pigtail pulling that Bruce had ever witnessed. They fought over _everything_.

They fought over the music JARVIS played (Tony always demanded ACDC, while Steve asked for Glenn Miller and other pre-war music), and food (mostly Steve insisting that they _eat_ food and Tony saying that food was for the weak and all he needed was a strong cup of coffee) and Dummy (the little helper-bot would buzz around offering Steve different pens and pencils and Tony would yell at the bot for playing favorites) and on and on it went.

And then there was the _staring_. Tony would stare at Steve as the soldier concentrated on a drawing. Steve would stare at Tony as the genius babbled on about some new technological advancement he was making. Tony would stare at Steve as the man smiled and laughed and played with Dummy. Steve would stare at Tony when the engineer snarked back and forth with JARVIS. Tony would stare at Steve with this amazed, almost shocked, look on his face, as if he couldn't believe Steve was _real_. And Steve would stare at Tony with this awed and just so damn _fond_ look on his face, as if he couldn't help but adore the brilliant genius.

And Bruce just stared at the both of them, unable to comprehend how they could be so _blind_.

It was after a particularly long day in the lab that Bruce went up to the common area and collapsed onto the couch with a sigh.

"Tired?" Natasha asked as she flipped the page of her book.

"Of Tony and Steve acting like idiots? Yes," Bruce said and Clint barked out a laugh.

"Someone should just tell them to make out already and put everyone out of their misery," Clint jumped over the back of the couch and landed with a thump next to Bruce.

"Not it," the archer yelled as a follow up.

"Not it," Bruce said.

"Nor I!" Thor bellowed as he entered the room. "What are we not doing?" The god tilted his head to the side and asked his fellow team members.

Clint just waved the question away and turned to look at Natasha. "Well? Are you going to tell them or not?"

Without even lifting her gaze from the book, Natasha shook her head. "Not." A small, mischievous smile quirked her lips upwards. "I still think it's entertaining."

"Ugh," Clint dropped his head back against the couch. "The UST is going to drive us insane."

Bruce heaved out another sigh and left the common room to go make some tea in the kitchen. It seemed as if he was going to have to put up with Tony and Steve's antics for a while longer.

**xXxXxXxXxX Get xXxXxX To xXxXxXx It xXxXxXxXx Soldier xXxXxXxXxXx**

"Status report," the Captain barked over the comms.

"I've got a few scrapes, but nothing major," Clint reported in.

"I am well, my shield-brother!" Thor yelled.

"I'm fine," Natasha said.

"Yeah, you are!" Tony agreed.

"Shut it, Stark," Natasha snapped, but it wasn't quite harsh enough to suggest she was actually mad about the comment.

"Iron Man, report," Steve prompted his team to get back on track.

"I'm _fine_ too," Tony said cheekily.

"Do you have eyes on the Hulk?" Steve asked as he jogged over to the check-in point. Clint and Natasha were already standing there with Agent Coulson.

"One moment please, let me put you on hold." ACDC's Thunderstruck started playing through the comms and Steve rolled his eyes but there was a grin on his face. "Found him!" Tony came back online. "Hey buddy, are you o- Woah!" Tony suddenly shouted and Steve abruptly halted.

"Tony?" Steve whirled around to face the last place he'd seen Iron Man flying through the sky. "Iron Man, report!" Clint and Natasha came up beside him, both on alert.

"I'm alright," Tony assured them and Steve breathed a little easier. "But…" Steve felt his stomach drop. "I might need a little help here."

"Where are you?" Steve asked as he started looking around for a sign of Tony.

"Um…stuck?" Tony answered in a confused voice.

"Tony, that's not helpful," Steve tried to remain calm, but his heart felt like it was pounding out of his chest. "Where are you?"

"I see the Man of Iron," Thor interrupted. "The Hulk seems to be giving him a brotherly embrace of sorts!" The god bellowed gleefully.

"What?!" Steve shouted and he could hear Clint relaying information to SHIELD. "_Where_ are you?!" Steve knew the Hulk wouldn't intentionally hurt Tony, but he didn't want to risk Tony getting hurt by accident.

"We're fine, Captain," Tony said calmly. "We're over by the subway entrance on 5th. He's not hurting me – are you, _buddy_? No, you'd never hurt me – he just won't let me go."

Steve came around the corner and stuttered to a halt, trying to understand what he was seeing. The Hulk had Tony grasped to his chest, and his large arms were wrapped around Iron Man's midsection. The Iron Man helmet was laying on the ground and Tony gave the team a lazy salute as they approached.

"Hey, guys. How nice of you to join this little snuggle fest me and Hulkie have decided to start," Tony flashed them a wry grin as the Hulk repositioned Tony to cradle the engineer with a single arm.

Tony turned his attention back to the Hulk and tilted his head back to look the Big Guy in the eye. "Want to tell me what's going on, Big Guy?"

The Hulk gave Tony a pouty-frown and tapped the chest-plate of the Iron Man suit lightly. "You being stupid."

"What?! How am I being stupid?!" Tony fumed and crossed his arms over his chest indignantly.

"You and Steve," the Hulk pointed at the Captain, "Both stupid."

Steve was completely bewildered by what was going on, but his other teammates just seemed amused. Clint was sniggering into his fist. Natasha was fighting back a smile and Thor was grinning broadly at everyone.

"Um…" Steve stepped closer to the Hulk, reassured at least that he didn't seem mad for any reason. "I'm not sure what you mean, Hulk. Stupid about what?" Moving closer might not have been a great decision because as soon as Steve was within reach, the Hulk snatched him up as well.

The Hulk now had one hand wrapped around Tony and one hand wrapped around Steve. He held them out in front of him and brought them face-to-face, like a giant child playing with his two favorite dolls. Steve and Tony stared at each other in shock, both wondering how they had managed to get into this situation.

The Hulk shifted them closer together and shook them lightly. "You both stupid because you not tell you like each other."

Steve felt his cheeks burst into flames. He immediately dropped his eyes to the ground, unable to meet Tony's gaze. Steve had purposefully not said anything to Tony because he hadn't wanted to ruin their friendship. And now…

"Hey," Tony spoke softly, encouragingly. "Steve, look at me."

Steve bit his lip and hesitantly met Tony's gaze. He didn't see anger; he saw a look of fondness on Tony's face that sent Steve's heart pounding. "He said we've _both_ been stupid, Steve."

The Hulk moved to set them on the ground, but Steve couldn't take his eyes off of Tony. "So you…" Steve swallowed nervously and took a small step closer to Tony. "You…ah…like me?"

"Yes," Tony grinned brightly. "I do, indeed."

The Hulk placed a hand at each of their backs and suddenly pushed them together. Steve wrapped his arms around Tony and his only regret was not being able to _feel_ Tony through the Iron Man suit.

"Kiss," the Hulk grunted and the rest of the team burst out laughing – even Natasha.

Steve just ignored them and stared at Tony, all the warmth and affection he felt clear on his face.

"Well, you heard the Big Guy," Tony said brightly. "Get to it, soldier!"

Always willing to follow a good command, Steve leaned forward to capture Tony's lips. He had the fleeting thought that he would need to thank the Hulk for playing matchmaker later. But for now, he'd just enjoy kissing Tony.

**xXxXxXxXxX Get xXxXxX To xXxXxXx It xXxXxXxXx Soldier xXxXxXxXxXx**

After transforming back, Bruce immediately went to take a shower. Once his aching muscles were a little more relaxed, he headed towards the kitchen. His stomach was growling angrily at him. He finished drying his hair with a towel and then dropped it around his shoulders. When he took stock of the occupants of the kitchen he abruptly came to a stop in the entryway.

"Uh…" he tilted his head to the side and was promptly ignored by Tony and Steve who were making out against the counter. "I feel like I missed something," he mumbled to himself before turning around and giving the new couple their privacy.


End file.
